Rail-joint.



J. MOGINNIESS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

ATTO R N EY COLUMBIA PLANouRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

l l l I i I l l H II l U i: l l I WITNESSES WTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

JOHN MCGINN'IESS, OF LONGBEACI-I, CALIFORNIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed August 22, 1812.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoirN MoGINNniss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Longbeach, in the county of Los Angeles and. State of California, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail joints.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail joints, and to provide a simple, eificient and comparatively inexpensive rail joint of strong and durable construction, adapted to dispense with bolts and nuts, and equipped with means capable of tightening the parts automatically when the rail joint is subjected to jar and vibration, whereby any loosening of the parts through such cause will be taken up.

ii further obj ect of the invention is to provide a rail joint of this character adapted to be readily applied to the rails, and capable of enabling the same to be easily and quickly removed for making repairs or for any other purpose.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination. of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wedge.

Like numerals of reference designate cor responding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rail joint comprises in its construction a rail chair constructed of cast metal, or other suitable material and consisting of a horizontal bottom 1 and sides 2 and 3, spaced apart to receive rails 4-, fish plates 5 and a wedge 6. The sides 2 and 3 of the chair have curved lower portions 7,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Serial No. 716,516.

extending upwardly and inwardly and fitting the base or bottom flanges of rails, which extend entirely across the bottom ot the chair, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The upper portions of the sides 2 and 3. are straight and vertical and are provided at their upper edges with inwardly projecting horizontal flanges 8 and 9, extending to points beneath the heads of the rails and closing the rail joint at the top to protect the latter and to exclude accumulation from the interior of the same.

The webs of the rails are providedv with elongated openings lO-tor the reception of transverse pins 11,. arranged in registering perforations 12' of opposite fish plates and confined between the inner side or wall 2 of the chair and, the wedge 6, which extends longitudinally of the rail joint between the outer fish. plate and. the outer side or wall 3 of the rail chair.v The pins are of a length slightly less than the combined thickness of the web of the railand the fish plates to permit the wedge to positively clamp the fish plates and the rails inv addition to. confining the transverse pins 11 in place. The elongated. openings permit the expansion and contraction of the rails incident to changes in temperature.

The outer side wall is provided at its inner face with a longitudinal groove 13, forming upper and lower bearing portions 1% to receive the outer face of the wedge, which is guided betweenthe top flange 9 and the base or bottom flanges of the rails. The groove reduces the area of frictional contact between the wedge and the side 3 of the rail chair to enable the wedge to respond more quickly tothe action of a spring 15.

The outer end of the wedge is provided with a laterally projecting lug or car 16 through which passes a horizontal rod 17, extending longitudinally of the rail joint and also passing through an opening 18 in one of a pair of transverse anchoring flanges 19 and 20. The outer end of the rod 17 is provided with a head 21, and its inner end portion 22 is threaded to receive nuts 23. The spring 15, which is arranged on the inner portion of the rod 17, is interposed between the transverse flange 19 and the nuts which are capable of adjustment to vary the tension of the spring. lVhen the wheels of a train pass over the rail joint and the latter is subjected to and vibration, which ordinarily loosen the parts of a rail joint, any looseness will be automatically taken up by the spring actuated wedge and the rails will be maintained in a tightly clamped condition, and the danger and inconvenience incident to the use of bolts and nuts are eliminted. The outer one of the nuts 23 forms a lock nut, but any suitable means may be employed for positively confining the nuts on the inner end of the rod.

The transverse anchoring flanges l9 and 20, which are relatively thick, are cast or otherwise formed integral with the chair and extend across the bottom and up the sides of the chair and are preferably arranged to fitbetween and engage the side faces of two cross ties 24, whereby the rail joint will be held against longitudinal movement. While only two anchoring flanges are illustrated in the drawing, their number, of course, may be varied.

The parts may be readily assembled by placing the chair on one end of one of the rails and sliding the said chair to a point beyond the adjacent elongated openings of the rail. The two rails are then placed end to end, and the fish plates and fastening devices assembled. The chair is then moved longitudinally of the rails to its proper position, after which the wedge is inserted between the outer fish plate and the outer side of the chair. The tension device may then be connected with the wedge, and when it is desired to remove a rail for repairing the track or any other purpose, the wedge may be easily detached, which will permit the parts of the rail joint to be quickly separated.

WVhat is claimed is 1- 1. A rail joint including a chair comprising a bottom, and opposite integral sides composed of inwardly extending lower portions arranged to embrace the bottom flanges of rails, and vertical upper portions provided at the top with inwardly projecting flanges of a width to extend beneath the head of the rails, opposite fish plates arranged beneath the said flanges, and a wedge interposed between one of the fish plates and the adjacent side of the chair.

2. In a rail joint, the combination with rails, of a chair receiving the rails and comprising a bottom, and opposite sides having inwardly extending lower portions arranged to embrace the bottom flanges of rails and provided with vertical upper portions having inwardly extending flanges at the top, one of the said vertical portions being also provided at its inner face with a longitudinal groove forming spaced upper and lower hearing portions, fish plates located at opposite sides of the rails, and a wedge spanning the groove and interposed between the said bearing portions and the adjacent fish plate.

3. A rail oint including a chair comprising a bottom, and opposite integral sides provided at the top with inwardly projecting flanges of a width to extend beneath the heads of the rails, one of the sides having a longitudinal groove in its inner face arranged below the longitudinal flange of such side and forming spaced upper and lower bearing portions, fish plates arranged beneath the said flanges, and a wedge spanning the said groove and interposed between the said upper and lower bearing portions and the adjacent fish plate.

t. A rail joint including a chair composed of a bottom, and integral upwardly extending sides, said chair being also provided with exterior transverse anchoring flanges extending across the bottom at the sides of the chair, one of the flanges being provided with an opening, a wedge extending into the chair for clamping rails therein, a rod connected with the outer end of the wedge and extending through the said opening, and a spring mounted on the inner portion of the rod and bearing against the flange at the said opening and arranged to urge the rod and the wedge inwardly.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WCGINNIESS.

Witnesses FRANK R. KEESHAN, FREDK. EASTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

